Death investigation underway in town of Belmont

By Brandi Makuski

TOWN OF BELMONT – Authorities are investigating after a man was found dead Friday morning near Fountain Lake Boat Landing.

The Portage County Sheriff’s Office said deputies were dispatched around 11:11 a.m. on Sept. 26 after receiving a report of a suspicious vehicle in the area. When deputies arrived, they discovered the vehicle had been flagged by another county for a welfare check on its driver.

While at the scene, deputies spoke with two people in the park. One of them told officers there was a deceased male on a trail near the landing. Deputies later found the body.

The man’s name and age have not yet been released. Sheriff Mike Lukas said the circumstances surrounding his death remain under investigation by the sheriff’s office and the Portage County Medical Examiner’s Office.

Lukas said law enforcement utilized several drones during their search for the man.

Several agencies assisted at the scene, including the Plover and Stevens Point police departments, the Waupaca Police Department, the Waushara and Waupaca county sheriff’s offices, Wisconsin State Patrol, the Department of Natural Resources, and Amherst Ambulance.

Lukas encouraged anyone experiencing mental health concerns or a crisis to immediately reach out to law enforcement or a mental health professional